TOMS RIVER – Breaisha Morton speaks softly, allowing her powerful running spikes to make her points with succinctness and clarity. The Passaic Tech star dominated at Sunday’s North 1, Group 4 girls indoor track championships, helping ignite this Bulldogs program to its first state title in school history.

A senior from Paterson, Morton won the 55-meter hurdles in 8.36, the 400 in 58.41 and the high jump in 5 feet, 4 inches. She was also the lead runner on Tech’s 4-x-400 relay that took home a silver medal in 4:18.88, clinching the meet for the Bulldogs, who finished with 65 points to second-place Ridgewood’s 55 and third-place West Orange’s 53.

"I just wanted to do the best that I could, and let everything else fall into place," Morton said. "We definitely got a lot of valuable contributions from many different sources and that’s what really put us over the top."

Junior Kaori Suzuki was second in the pole vault in 8-0, junior Alexes Washington was third in the 55 hurdles (8.61), fourth in the 55 sprint (7.57) and fifth in the high jump (5-0), and sophomore Alesha Washington was third in the shot put (32-10) for PCT. Cheyenne Allen, along with D’Meriah Cuavers, Ayana Smith and Morton, were just behind gold medalist West Orange’s 4:15.74 in the 4-x-400.

Also earning team gold was Northern Highlands, which scored 62 points in North 1, Group 3, with Mount Olive second with 46 points. Catherine Pagano was first in the 1,600 in 5:01.66 for Highlands, sophomore Amanda Pook had a silver in the 400 (1:00.22) and senior Anna Richard (2:21.93) and sophomore Hilary McElwain (2:26.30) went 4-5 in the 800. Richard (5:14.98) and junior Karina North (5:23.98) went 3-4 in the 1,600 and Pagano, a junior, was second in the 800 in 2:20.51 and fourth in the 3,200 in 11:59.62.

"I’m getting back into shape and this was a good step in that regard," said Pagano, who has been battling a stress reaction in her left tibia since cross-country season. "I just want to gradually get back into gear and this [sectionals] is a good prep for accomplishing that."

Demarest also had good individual showings in North 1, Group 3 with junior Christina Welzer taking first in the 800 (2:17.78) and sophomore Nikolia Kanaris winning gold in the shot put (37-9).

Other North 1, Group 3 victors included Wayne Hills’ Kristina Langan (11-0 in the pole vault) and Jillian O’Donohoe (11:27.70 in the 3,200), Amanda Simms of Teaneck (8.69 in the 55 hurdles) and Taryn DeLeon of Old Tappan with a 5-4 in the high jump.

North 1, Group 4 golds were Ridgewood junior Carleen Jeffers in the 3,200 in 11:17.61 and Hackensack sophomore Amarys Berry with a 36-10 1/2 throw in the shot put.

TOMS RIVER – Breaisha Morton speaks softly, allowing her powerful running spikes to make her points with succinctness and clarity. The Passaic Tech star dominated at Sunday’s North 1, Group 4 girls indoor track championships, helping ignite this Bulldogs program to its first state title in school history.

A senior from Paterson, Morton won the 55-meter hurdles in 8.36, the 400 in 58.41 and the high jump in 5 feet, 4 inches. She was also the lead runner on Tech’s 4-x-400 relay that took home a silver medal in 4:18.88, clinching the meet for the Bulldogs, who finished with 65 points to second-place Ridgewood’s 55 and third-place West Orange’s 53.

"I just wanted to do the best that I could, and let everything else fall into place," Morton said. "We definitely got a lot of valuable contributions from many different sources and that’s what really put us over the top."

Junior Kaori Suzuki was second in the pole vault in 8-0, junior Alexes Washington was third in the 55 hurdles (8.61), fourth in the 55 sprint (7.57) and fifth in the high jump (5-0), and sophomore Alesha Washington was third in the shot put (32-10) for PCT. Cheyenne Allen, along with D’Meriah Cuavers, Ayana Smith and Morton, were just behind gold medalist West Orange’s 4:15.74 in the 4-x-400.

Also earning team gold was Northern Highlands, which scored 62 points in North 1, Group 3, with Mount Olive second with 46 points. Catherine Pagano was first in the 1,600 in 5:01.66 for Highlands, sophomore Amanda Pook had a silver in the 400 (1:00.22) and senior Anna Richard (2:21.93) and sophomore Hilary McElwain (2:26.30) went 4-5 in the 800. Richard (5:14.98) and junior Karina North (5:23.98) went 3-4 in the 1,600 and Pagano, a junior, was second in the 800 in 2:20.51 and fourth in the 3,200 in 11:59.62.

"I’m getting back into shape and this was a good step in that regard," said Pagano, who has been battling a stress reaction in her left tibia since cross-country season. "I just want to gradually get back into gear and this [sectionals] is a good prep for accomplishing that."

Demarest also had good individual showings in North 1, Group 3 with junior Christina Welzer taking first in the 800 (2:17.78) and sophomore Nikolia Kanaris winning gold in the shot put (37-9).

Other North 1, Group 3 victors included Wayne Hills’ Kristina Langan (11-0 in the pole vault) and Jillian O’Donohoe (11:27.70 in the 3,200), Amanda Simms of Teaneck (8.69 in the 55 hurdles) and Taryn DeLeon of Old Tappan with a 5-4 in the high jump.

North 1, Group 4 golds were Ridgewood junior Carleen Jeffers in the 3,200 in 11:17.61 and Hackensack sophomore Amarys Berry with a 36-10 1/2 throw in the shot put.